Many people still think of individual health insurance as something that’s just a perk when you can afford it, rather than something that’s absolutely necessary. In fact, it took many people by surprise when the federal government decided to make medical insurance a requirement for all Americans; a lot of people still consider health insurance to be unnecessary, and therefore think that required health insurance plans are unnecessary, too.
In reality, there are many reasons why you’d benefit from health insurance — beyond the fact that it’s legally required now — and here are just a few of those reasons:
- Hospital bills: If you don’t have health insurance, you’ll find that very few doctors are willing to treat you. Many people without health insurance end up going to the local hospital’s emergency room because hospitals can’t turn away patients, regardless of their insurance status. Unfortunately, you’ll still have to pay for these hospital bills and you’ll end up paying a lot more than you would at a doctor’s office.
- Preventative care: This is important for financial reasons and for health-related reasons. The longer you wait to treat a medical condition, the more money you’ll spend on treatment later. Not being able to see a regular physician can be a major problem with preventative care because these doctors are required to give patients information and/or access to services like cancer screenings, mammograms, and vaccinations.
- Extra perks: Many individual health insurance plans come with perks for living a healthy lifestyle; offering reimbursements for a gym membership, for example, is one way that insurance companies can encourage their clients to exercise more. Staying active is one of the best ways to stay healthy, so clients typically end up costing their insurance companies less money. Not only will you be healthier, but you can also take advantage of some awesome exercise and wellness programs.
Whether you go with a private individual health insurance plan or you choose to apply for Medicare insurance coverage, the benefits of being insured are simply too important to ignore.